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Results.-Athletes were more likely than referents to belong to the executive or clerical class in 1985 (70% vs. 30%) and to be married (94.1% vs. 85.8%). After adjustment for occupational group, there was a statistically significant difference between the survival curves of referents and cross-country skiers and long-distance runners. The mean LE adjusted for occupational group, marital status, and age at entry to the cohort ranged from 71.5 years for power-sports participants to 75.6 years for athletes in endurance sports; the adjusted LE for referents was 69.9 years. A decrease in cardiovascular mortality accounted for most of the difference between athletes and referents. Conclusion.-Surviving athletes had a healthier and physically more active lifestyle than the referents. Life expectancies were increased significantly for both endurance athletes and team athletes, mainly because of lower rate of cardiovascular and cancer mortality in former world-class athletes. It is also likely that the athletes had a higher social status and a